History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c84.s4.t1: § 19. The Gond people and their mediæval kingdoms.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c84.s4.t1
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§ 19. The Gond people and their mediæval kingdoms.
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The old highway from Agra to Khandesh and Berar passed through the country of the Gonds, a primitive people of nomadic habits and predatory instincts. This land of Gondwana covers much of the modern Central Provinces, and stretches from Bhopal in the west to Sambalpur in the east, and from Bundelkhand to the Painganga (the northern frontier of the Nizam's dominions), on both sides of the Vindhya range and its eastern prolongation. In the northern half of this region a great kingdom had been established in the 16th century by the Gond Rajah of Garha. But Akbar's generals dismembered the kingdom and sacked its capitals Garha and Chauragarh. The later Rajahs made submission to the Mughal Emperor and reigned at Chauragarh, with diminished power and territory. Here Prem Narayan, the ruling chief, was killed and his treasure plundered by Jhujhar Singh Bundela, in 1634; but the Rajah's son Hriday Shah killed Jhujhar and recovered his capital, with Mughal help (1635); as we have seen in vol. i. ch. 2.
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The dynasty now rapidly declined, petty intrigues divided the royal house and weakened its power, and the succeeding chiefs confined themselves to an obscure life within the narrow limits of Mandla and a small territory round it. The country north of the Narmada ceased to have any strong Gond power.
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The predominance among the Gonds now passed to the chiefs of Deogarh, in the centre of Gondwana and south of the Narmada river. This city stood on the southern slopes of the Satpura range, some 60 miles north of Nagpur, and faced the plain country stretching southwards to the Deccan plateau. But its territory was extended by vigorous rulers in the late 17th century far to the right and left. Eighty-five miles south of Nagpur lay Chanda, the seat of another Gond Rajah, who was the constant enemy and rival of the house of Deogarh. These were the only Gond States that counted for anything in the reign of Aurangzib, and their accumulated treasure, herds of elephants, and collection of gems locally quarried, made them objects of cupidity to the Mughal Government.
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§ 20. Early Mughal relations with Gond Rajahs.
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A ready excuse for invasion was supplied by the fact that they had not sent any present to the Delhi Emperor. In 1637 a Mughal army, released from operations in the Deccan, entered Gondwana, levying contributions from the local chiefs. It stormed Nagpur, the seat of the Deogarh Rajah Kukia, who had refused to pay any tribute. The fort was restored to him on his agreeing to pay a large cash indemnity and an annual tribute of one and one-third lakhs of Rupees.
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But the tribute fell into arrears, and in 1655 a Mughal army marched into Deogarh territory and forced the Rajah (Kesari Singh) to make an abject submission. He joined the imperial army in the Deccan with a body of his retainers and did excellent service in the war against Golkonda and Bijapur.
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The tribute was withheld during the disorder caused by the war of succession; the arrears amounted to 15 lakhs at the end of 1666. But Aurangzib was now firmly settled on his throne, and had just become free from his wars with Shivaji and Bijapur.